Acetylene-gas generator.



PATENTED JAN. 17, 1905.

P. L. H. SIMS.

AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4. 1901- STTES Patented January 17, 1905.

FREDERICK LINDLEY HUNT SIMS, OF TORONTO, CANADA.

AGETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

$PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,134, dated January17, 1905.

Application filed April 4, 1901. Serial No. 5 2,316.

To (l/ZZ whmn it puny concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK LINnLnY HUNT SIMS, of the city of Toronto,in the county of York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene-Gas Machines, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in acetylene-gas machines; and theobject of the invention is to construct a machine of this class in whichthe gas may be generated in direct proportion to the rate ofconsumption, and thereby avoid the use of large gasometers and thedanger incident to storage, and in which also the generation will becompletely stopped as soon as the gas is turned off at the main orservice-pipe, so that there will be no possibility of overgeneration.

The figure is a sectional elevation of my acetylene-gas-generatingapparatus.

A is the main cylindrical casing, which is designed to be partiallyfilled with water.

B is the carbid-casing, having a conical bottom 5 provided with anorifice I). The casing B has an outwardly-extending flange B, which fitswithin the interior of the cylindrical casing A, being held therein onsuitable pins 6 which extend through bayonetslots in the dependingflange B.

O is a service-pipe or main which leads from the upper portion of thecarbid-casing B.

D is the carbid-reserve casing, which is provided with a suitablescrew-cap (Z, which is removed in order to fill the casing. The lowerend of the casing D is conical and communi cates, by means of the neckD, with the upper end of the carbid-casing B. The neck I) is providedwith a suitable valve (Z, intermediate of the length thereof, the stemof such valve being provided with an arm (V, which is connected by a rodd to a handle Z on the end of the stem of the valve d" of theservice-pipe. It will be noticed that when the valve (,Z is closed thevalve (Z is open, so as to permit of the passage of the gas into theservice-pipe or main. The valve (.Z is kept closed except when it isdesigned to relill the carbid-containing casing B, and the valve d" isunder ordinary circumstances open.

E is the generating-casing, which is a bottomless chamber supported onthe bottom of the casing E by legs a. The top of the generating-casingsuitably attached to the conical bottom of the carbid-casing.

F is the valve, which is preferably made conical in form and hasconnected to the flaring upper end f thereof the tubular extension F. Inthe flaring upper end fare openings 7 for the passage of the gas. Thebottom of the conical valve F is provided with a stelnf which extendsdown to a cross-bar y, connected at each end to the ring-shaped floaty.The float f is substantially reverse-U shape in cross-section, so as toalways leave a cushion of air above the water in the interior of thering, so as to give it buoyancy.

Gr is a cover which is supported above the tubular extension F by thewire stays 7.

Having now described the principal parts involved in my invention, Ishall briefly describe the manner of filling the carbid-holder and thecasingpreparatory to starting my machine in the generation oi the gas.

The carbid-holder and the parts connected thereto are removed from thecasing. The carbid is placed in the reserve-chamber D. The casing A ispartially filled with water. The carbid-casing B and the portionsconnected thereto are then locked in the casings A and E so as to closethe top of it, as indicated in the drawing, whereupon the handle d ismanipulated so as to close the valve (Z and open the valve d, when thecarbid willpass down into the carbid-casing B. WVhen the carbidholder isplaced in position, the generatingcasing and carbid-holder being closedto the service supply-pipe will preserve the air in thegenerating-casings A and E, and thereby not permit the water to passupwardly into the same any more than is indicated in the drawing, thevalvef remaining closed. W hen it is desired to light one or moreburners, the handle (2*. may be then manirmlated to open the valve d,and thus allow of the ready egress of the air from the genorating-casingE through the orifice 7) and carbid-casing B into and through theservice-pipe. As the pressure of the airis thus relieved from thesurface of the water in the generating-casing E it will be seen that thefloat f will. rise, and thereby open the valve and let the carbid downthrough the orifice around the conical valve, thus allowing it to fallinto the water, and thus generating gas within the casing E, which gaswill pass up through the orifice f in the flaring upper end of the valveF through the tubular extension F of the valve, around the bottom of thecover G, and up through the carbid in the casing B into theservice-pipe. The pressure of the gas, however, will of necessity forcethe water down, and thereby the float falling will close the valve bythe edge of thetubular extension F coming against the seat of theconical valve immediately above the orifice as soon as enough gas hasbeen generated for the number of burners which are being employed at theopposite end of the service-pipe. This continual rising and falling ofthe valve will occur very evenly and regularly, and the amount of gassupplied will thus be even and regular, or in direct proportion to therate of consumption. Of course when once the machine has been startedand the gas is in the servicepipe the valve cl" would be left openexcept when it is necessary to supply more carbid from thereservereceptacle into the carbid-casing. Under ordinary circumstances,however, when the valve of the carbid-reserve casing is closed it maybefilled as required without interfering with the operation of my machine.

Another important desideratum which I obtain in my construction ofacetylene-gas machine is that the gas passes through the carbidchamber,which in the operation of the machine is from time to time charged withnew carbid, thereby providing new carbid for the gas to pass through, sothat without any attention from any one there is always fresh carbid topurify the gas in the ordinary operation of the machine, and thusdeterioration of the carbid is counteracted.

Another advantage I obtain is in the form of the float which I use. Itis particularly adapted for portable lamps, and for this reason in allother forms of floats of which I am aware which are used in connectionwith acetylene-generators the ring float is an inclosed or hollow ring.In my float the bot tom is open. It will therefore be seen that in casethe lamp is tilted by accident or otherwise as soon as such tiltingtakes place in the slightest degree the float is thrown out ofoperation, for the reason that the air escapes from underneath the edgeof the float on that side remote from the side which dips into thewater, and thus prevents any danger of the feed of the carbid from thefloat when ascending when the lamp is tilted. If the float were a hollowring float, as hereinbefore premised, it will be very clearly seen thatno such result could be obtained, as the float would rise, the water onthe one side being suflicient to give its upward movement.

hat I claim as my invention is 1. In an acetylene-gas machine, thecombination with the casing designed to be partially filled with Waterand the carbid-holder rigidly connected to the top of the same andprovided with a central bottom orifice of the generating-casingconnected to the bottom ofbottom with an orifice communicating withthegenerator-casing, and a service-pipelead ing from the carbid-hold er, ofa reverse-coneshaped valve extending through the orifice and providedwith a flaring top having openings extending therethrough and a tubularextension having its bottom extending below the top of the conical valveand normally resting on this seat above the orifice and its topextending up into the carbid-casing and a float vconnected with thisvalve, substantially as described.

3. In an acetylene-gas machine, the combination with the casing designedto be partially filled with water and the carbid-holder suitablysupported above the same and provided with a bottom orifice, of thebottomless generating-casing suitably connected to the bottom of thecarbid-holder and surrounding the orifice at the bottom of thecarbid-holder, a reverse cone shaped valve extending through the orificeand provided with a flaring top having openings extending therethroughand a tubular extension designed to have the bottom extending below thetop of the conical portion and normally resting on the seat above theorifice and the top extending up into the carbid-casing and a floatsuitably connected to the bottom of the valve as and for the purposespecified.

4. In an acetylene-gas machine, the combination with the casing designedto be partially filled with water and the carbid-holder suitablysupported above the same and provided with a bottom orifice, of thebottomless generator-casing suitably connected to the bottom of thecarbid -holder, a reverse-coneshaped valve extending through the orificeand provided with a flaring top having openings extending therethroughand a tubular extension designed to have the bottom extending below thetop of the conical portion and nor- IIO mally resting on the seat abovethe orifice and the top extending up into the carbid-casing, a floatsuitably connected to the valve and a cover extending over the tubularextension of the valve suitably supported in the carbid-casin z 5. In adevice of the class described, the combination with agenerating-chamber, a carbidchamber arranged above the same, a valvearranged centrally in respect to the carbidchamber and controlling theflow of cal-bid to this generating-chamber, said valve having anaperture therethrough for the passage of the gas from thegenerating-chamber back to the central portion of the carbid-chamberwhence the said gas is adapted to pass through the carbid to the pointof discharge, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the class described, a carbid-chamber, having acentral orifice in its bottom, a generating-chamber below thecarbid-chamber and surrounding the orifice, a valve controlling saidorifice, said valve having a tubular extension in said carbid-chamber, ahood in the carbid-chamber surrounding said extension, and means ofcommunication between the extension and the generatingchamber. throughsaid valve so that the gas is introduced into the middle of thecarbidchamber.

7 In an apparatus for generating acetylene, the combination with thegenerating-chainber, a carbid-chamber provided with an aperture leadinginto the generating-chai'nber, of a valve substantially tubular in formand extending up to a point intermediate of the height of thecarbid-chamber and constructed from time to time to close thecarbid-feed in one direction and yet always allow the gas to feed in theopposite direction as specified.

8. In an apparatus for generating acetylene gas, the combination of acarbid-casing, a body of carbid contained in the said casing and aservice-pipe communicating with the interior of the said casing abovethe carbid, a bottomless generating-chamber communicating with the lowerend of the carbid-casing and operating means causing the gas on its wayfrom the generating-chamber to the service-pipe to pass concentricallyup through the said body of carbid in the carbid-casing without passingthrough the carbid at the point of communication between thegenerating-casing and the lower carbid-casing as specified.

9. In apparatus for generating acetylene,the combination of agencrating-chamber having water therein, a carbid-containing chamberhaving a carbid-opening, a valve governing the carbid-opening having oneor more openings forming an uninterrupted passage for gas through thevalve and a cover extending over the valve and carbid-opening so shapedas to collect all the gas passing through the said openings anddischarge it close to the central line of the carbid, substantially asdescribed.

FREDERICK IJINDIIEY HUNT SIMS.

WVitnesses:

H. l. S. YOUNG, R. SHIELDS.

